Who is Prince Toma?

Rumors began to spread as soon as Cao Qigong was recognized as Queen Jenmei Na'Omi's long lost son, Prince Toma...

During a diplomatic mission by Crown Prince Yixing-Jiumin Jinhai from Senyon, the Crown Prince's aide, friend, and bodyguard, Cao Qigong was identified by the Queen, Duke Togawa, and the elderly, retired chief court eunuch, Kôzuke Akiho, as the Queen's son. There was no doubt among them that Cao Qigong was actually Prince Toma. Queen Na'Omi favored naming Toma as crown prince of Chessa immediately; however, some the court ministers were reticent. Toma's character and abilities were unknown, and he was totally unfamiliar with Chessa's customs, traditions, laws, and people. It would take time to convince them that Toma, though he appeared to be the Queen's legitimate son, was the right person to take the throne after the Queen.
On top of the reluctance of the Chessan royal court to immediately name Prince Toma as crown prince, a testament purportedly written by the late King Kenzo began circulating in the capital that repudiated Queen Na'Omi and Toma, claiming that Toma was not the king's son and naming Duke Togawa as king. Despite the testament clearly being shown to be fake, doubts persisted in some people's minds. Other rumors spread throughout Chessdo that Prince Toma was a spy and saboteur, planted by Senyon as part of a grand conspiracy to take over the throne of Chessa and then hand it over to Senyon, ending Chessa as an independent country. Duke Togawa and Queen Na'Omi did their best to quash the rumors, but when Prince Toma disappeared, there was little they could do to stop them from spreading. The rumors were believed by many of the commoners and some of the nobility, but they rumors were not believed by the court ministers that had met Prince Toma and seen the clear evidence that he is the Queen's son.

Cultural Reception

Prince Toma's presence was a threat to the position of other members of the Chessan royal family, especially Prince Kento, son of Duke Togawa, who was presumed by most to be next the heir to the throne, so it was clear to those with full knowledge of the situation the motivations behind the rumors and who likely initiated them. Duke Togawa was furious with Prince Kento and kept him confined to his quarters within the Togawa manor, but that didn't prevent Prince Kento from bribing guards and servants to circulate the rumors, and they were quite succesful in doing so.
Among commoners, those without much understanding of the machinations and plotting among the royalty and nobility to gain power, favor, and influence, the rumors were widely believed. Relations between Senyon and Chessa had been strained for centuries. Many Chessans believed that the Azmasanmanne imperial family of Senyon, having originated in Chessa ages in the past, still coveted Chessa as their own. The failure of Crown Prince Yixing-Jiumin Jinhai's diplomatic mission to Queen Na'Omi's court had done nothing to dispel that misunderstanding.
Among the nobility and royalty of Chessa, there was much skepticism and even disdain for the rumors. They understood quite well who stood to gain by the repudiation of Queen Na'omi and Prince Toma or Prince Toma being named a spy. The rumors dealt a blow to Duke Togawa's reputation, but he was at a loss as to what to do about them short of having Prince Kento, his own son, beaten to death.

In Literature

One of the primary sources of the rumors was a fake testament said to be written by the late King Kenzo Na'Omi, husband of Queen Jenmei Na'Omi, but quickly proven to be a fake due to an obvious error.

by Peter Nelson (Zero Sum Games)

Prince Toma or just Cao Qigong?